Storm Clouds
by tsubame.hayakaze
Summary: Life was simple for me. I had a normal job, a normal family, a normal goal, I went to normal schools and that was fine with me. But, once I somehow managed to get enrolled into Ouran Academy, things stopped being so simple for me. It was like storm clouds raining on my parade of a simple life. [Male!OC x ?]
1. I: Ending of a Simple Life

**Disclaimer:** _Ouran High School Host Club _itself, the characters and places belong to Bisco Hatori and the song lyrics of "Shiki no Uta" belong to Minmi. The only things I own are the OCs and the plot of this story and I gain nothing from writing it besides the pleasure.

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**Storm Clouds - Chapter One - Ending of a Simple Life**

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_I liked to think that I was a normal guy with a simple life. _

_I didn't know the identities of my birth parents but that was fine; I happily lived with my grandparents in the Koishikawa locality within Bunky__ō__, Tokyo and I attended the public elementary and middle schools that resided in the neighborhood. I was an average student who made 'B' and 'C' grades with the seldom 'A' and that was fine because I didn't plan on going to a huge college. My dream was a simple one: I'd go to a culinary school and, then, take over my grandparents's store and reopen it as a café one day. _

_My hobbies were few. Weekday evenings were spent working in my grandparents' store making specialty bento and desserts or serving as a cashier while weekends were spent either bike riding or fishing. I had friends but we only ever hung out during school hours and that was fine._

_My life was normal and simple._

_Until, my grandparents enrolled me into Ouran Academy. That was the moment my normal life ceased and turned into something a lot more difficult._

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"_When dawn breaks again, we'll say our farewells_

_Our dreams become distant phantoms_

_The times we were embraced_

_In the light that chased you_

_Relying on the warm winds_"

I hummed lightly to the lyrics of the song playing on the radio as I fanned myself with a magazine, waiting for the last thirty minutes to pass so I could finally close shop and head home for the evening. Tomorrow was the first day of taking classes at Ouran Academy as a new student. I wasn't quite sure how to feel about actually having to go to the place—honored to be granted access to such a high-class establishment or skeptical of where the tuition money came from. I can still remember how abruptly my grandma had told me, as if it were the plainest thing in the world.

_"I've got some good news for you, Shishi-kun." The elderly woman smiled at me, her eyes closing with the action._

_I clipped my shaggy bangs back with a large barrette, getting ready to prepare some lunches for the store. "Hmm... Yeah, Granna?"_

_"You've been admitted to Ouran Academy! Isn't that wonderful?" Her voice was light, conversational as she pulled out some seaweed. "You'll have to go get fitted for a uniform tomorrow morning so you should go to bed early tonight."_

_"Hmm," I hummed softly, my focus completely on molding the sticky rice into shape. A second later, my eyes blinked in confusion. "What?"_

I sighed softly under my breath as the entrance's bell jingled, alerting me that a customer had arrived. I greeted the customer with a droll salutation, not even bothering to remove my feet from the counter. It was a different matter in the early hours of the afternoon but, near closing time, my manners went straight down the drain as fitting the slow flow of patrons that came in. Our store was right near Myōgadani Station and that place was only busy during rush hour, meaning our customer count was only ever high during that time of day, though, there were some that dragged in near closing time for a lunch bento for work or school for the next day.

"_Ah~_ Arashi-kun!" A voice cooed.

Oh. That's who it was. I pulled my legs from the counter, letting my lips tug into a lazy smile. "How are you, Ranka-san. Aren't you looking _ravishing_ today, hmm?"

Ranka Fujioka, a usual at our store. Ranka-san was a charismatic person that had been coming around our store since I was about ten or eleven. Embarrassingly enough, when I first met her, I developed a tiny crush on her that she eventually found out about and mercilessly teased me about whenever she came in. That is, until she stumbled in during closing time as a "he" instead of a "she." Needless to say, my little crush lessened a bit, though, I couldn't help finding his teasing amusing.

"Oh, why, _thank you_, Arashi-kun!" He gushed happily with exuberant hand gestures, his long locks shifting with his motions. "I was just out shopping with my_ adorable _and _darling_ Haru-chan!"

A snicker worked its way from my throat as I let my eyes roam around the store before catching sight of a head of brown hair. "That's nice. Never really see you two together."

Ranka's lips pursed together and his arms crossed in mock irritation. "You can say that again! My little Haru-chan is _always _finding some kind of excuse not to spend time with me and let me dress her up like the _cute _girl that she is!" His expression turned mischievious within a second. "Arashi-kun, you have _such _good tastes when it comes to girls—I mean, you did like _me_ at one point! Don't you think my Haru-chan is the most darling thing in the world?"

"Well, Ranka-san, you know you'll be the only twinkle in my eye." I batted my lashes playfully, a grin stretching on my lips. "But, Fujioka-chan _is_ looking very enchanting today."

The object of our conversation walked up then, her expression flat as she placed a few things on the counter. "_Please_, don't entertain him, Hamasaki-san. The _last_ thing I need to deal with is someone joining in on his antics."

Haruhi Fujioka, Ranka-san's beloved daughter. Surprisingly, despite the fact that I was on good terms with her father, I didn't know the girl that well. We attended the same elementary and middle schools but we were in different classes and the extent to our relationship was limited to her picking up lunches and buying medicine, which was presumably for her father. I typically referred to her as 'Fujioka-chan' as we were only acquaintances and, while Ranka-san didn't mind playful flirting and teasing with him in the vicinity, he was _very_ protective of his daughter—I didn't want to be on the man's bad side.

"You make it sound as if you're stressed." I slowly began to ring up their items. "Something big going on, hmm?"

Ranka-san's eyes lit up and his hands clasped together by his cheek. "Didn't you hear, Arashi-kun? My little Haru-chan passed the entrance exam for Ouran Academy!" He pulled her into a tight hug that had the girl squawking in protest. "I'm _so _proud of her!"

That...wasn't really surprising. I can still remember few of my friends talking about Haruhi and how she always managed to be a top-scorer on most tests in school—it was a reason why most of my friends had a crush on the girl.

I offered them a nonchalant smile. "That's good. Funny. I'm gonna be going to Ouran myself starting tomorrow."

Father and daughter both stopped to look at me with incredulous stares. Haruhi's eyes narrowed in thought. "Really? But..." She tapped her chin. "I didn't see you at the testing center."

"I know." I bagged their things and leaned back in my seat.

"So..." Ranka-san started, "How did you get in then?"

I shrugged and they both heaved out exasperated sighs at my lack of response. Haruhi blinked as she handed me the money for their items. "The tuition fee is really expensive... Did you guys hit the lottery or something?"

"Hmm, not that I know of."

Her eyebrows furrowed in thought before eventually she shrugged her shoulders, grabbing up their purchases in the process. "Well, at least, I won't be completely alone." She offered me a bright smile. "Say, do you still listen to MAYA?"

I breathed out a laugh whilst pointing to the small radio behind me. "Yeah, she's my favorite. I love this song of hers."

Haruhi made a noise of affirmation before continuing, "I saw a picture of her while we were out shopping today and was reminded of you." She pointed towards my face, causing my eyes to go crossed. "Her eyes are the same color as yours. They really stand out, you know?"

I blinked, rubbing my lip piercing lightly. "So..._what_, hmm? Think she could be the one who paid for my tuition?"

She shrugged. "Could be. You never know these days."

We shared a laugh before jumping at Ranka-san's sharp clap of hands. He regarded us with a suspicious look, causing me to gulp and Haruhi to groan softly. His painted lips turned up into a devilish grin after a few seconds of tense staring and, before she knew what was happening, Haruhi yelped as she was pulled back into his tight grip. Renka-san fluttered his long lashes at me as he held Haruhi's squirming body to his chest.

"_Arashi-kun~_" He began, "My precious Haru-chan is going off tomorrow without me! Do you think you could do _me_, the twinkle of your eye, a _big_ favor?"

My eyebrow cocked. "Hmm?"

"Could you _please_ escort my Haru-chan to Ouran tomorrow?" Ranka-san asked, his tone sugary and pleasant. "I want to be reassured that she's safe on her first day of school and I _know_ I can trust you. _Please_?"

I opened my mouth to respond but the petite girl beat me to it. "_Dad_, I don't need an escort for school. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself and I'm sure Hamasaki-san ca-"

"I'll do it." I cut her off, offering the man a smile. I snickered at Haruhi's splutters and Renka-san's huff of triumph.

"Hamasaki-san, _really_, I don't need-"

"I can't refuse a request by the twinkle of my eye, Fujioka-chan." I laughed at her loud groan of irritation. "But, if it makes you feel better, I'll give you a castella cake on the house for troubling you, hmm."

The brown-eyed girl's lips pursed, making her favor her father, before she finally relented with a soft sigh and a smile. "_Fine_ but only for the first day. Okay, Hamasaki-san? I don't want to bother you."

"You're no bother, Fujioka-chan." I moved to get her gift of cake, returning in a few moments to hand it to the awaiting hands of Ranka-san. "I hope you two enjoy it. I made it myself."

"_Oh~_ Arashi-kun's cakes are the best!" The man gushed happily, making my lips pull up in happiness at the praise. "Maybe, I should steal you away and have you bake me sweets for eternity!"

I opened my mouth to say something but, again, Haruhi interrupted me with a dead-panned expression and blunt words. "_Hamasaki-san_." She frowned at my and her father's snorts of amusement. "Why don't we meet up at the station in the morning? At around seven-thirty?"

"Yeah, yeah." I waved them away, turning off my radio and moving from around the counter. "I'll see you in the morning, Fujioka-chan but now it's time for me to close up."

The girl nodded with a smile while her father pulled me into a tight hug and, after locking up, that was that and we were going our separate ways. It didn't take long to make it to my cozy little house—about fifteen minutes—and, once I entered, I settled myself down in the sitting room with my grandpa who was busy building some sort of boat figurine. He gave me a wide, relaxed smile that I returned.

"Hmm...?" _How was the store...?_

"It was fine, Grandpa. Not too many customers today but that'll probably change tomorrow, hmm."

"Hmm." _I see_. "Hmm?" _Are you ready for school tomorrow?_

"As ready as I'll ever be, Grandpa. Oh, I'm heading out a little early in the morning. I promised Ranka-san I'd walk his daughter to school."

"Hmm?" _Ranka-san? You mean that transvestite that flirts with you on a daily basis?_

I snorted. "Ranka-san doesn't flirt with me on a daily basis, Grandpa. He's just teasing. You know that, hmm." I leaned my head on an open palm. "Where's Granna, hmm? Is she sleeping?"

His hands paused briefly before they continued their actions. I frowned at the way Grandpa's smile lowered and I let my expression turn somber. Was something wrong? I asked him.

He shook his head. "Hmm." _No, your grandma's fine. She's just speaking on the phone with someone. _"Hmm." _Don't bother her right now._

I cocked an eyebrow as I stared at him but I relented as a yawn forced its way from my lips. Rising to my feet and stretching in the process, I placed a hand on Grandpa's shoulder. "All right, I won't, hmm. I'm gonna head off to bed now, Grandpa."

"Hmm...!" _I'm serious, Arashi...! Don't bother her right now...!_

"Okay, okay, hmm. No need to get angry, Grandpa." I grumbled as I made my way to my bedroom, more than ready to retire for the night.

I walked by my grandparents' room, intent on passing and minding my own business, but a muffled yelp and exclamation of emotion captured my attention and had me pressing my ear to the door. My brows furrowed as I strained to hear her soft voice.

_"...id what you as..."_

_"...at you care..."_

_"...ot tell hi..."_

_"..ine, Ama..."_

I could just barely make out her words and I pressed myself closer to the door, hoping to pick up on her conversation. Unfortunately, I didn't hear her hang up the phone or hear her move around so, moments later, I was sprawled on the floor, my face flat on the ground. My grandma's giggles met my ears as I turned over to stare up at her with a lazy smile.

"Just _what_ exactly were you doing, young man?" She asked in amusement and with hands on her hips.

I scrambled to my feet quickly and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I just wanted to tell you good night."

She hummed as she scrutinized my face and I rubbed my lip in nervousness. Her probing stare softened as a silence descended over us and my eyes searched above her head, away from her expression. Finally, she let out an amused sigh as she pushed me towards my bedroom.

"Go on to sleep, then, Shishi-kun." She patted my cheek tenderly. "Go on to sleep and stop eavesdropping on private conversations."

My cheeks flushed brightly as I murmured an apology and slinked back to my room in embarrassment. A breath puffed past my lips as the door closed and my eyes landed on the uniform hanging on my closet door. Why did it seem as if things were changing so quickly these days?

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"_Oh~_!" The small elderly woman cooed as she reached up to touch my face. "Look at my little baby, growing up so fast! Why, I remember when you were in pampers! Time has passed so quickly!"

I grimaced slightly in pain as she tugged a little too hard on my cheeks but I still strained to give her a smile regardless as I was used to her actions. "I know, Granna. You say that every time I enter a new year of school, hmm."

She continued her prattle of how much I'd grown and how she should take pictures to remember the moment but I quickly and gently pulled her hands from my tender cheeks, the same smile still etched on my face. "Sorry, Granna, but I gotta get going if I don't want to be late with meeting Fujioka-chan."

She chuckled softly, giving my arm a light pat as I placed a kiss on her forehead in departure. "Yes, yes, go on and get going." She made waving motions with her hands. "I'll see you later. Oh, don't forget. We have to make some more lunch bento for the store so I'll need you back."

My smile softened into a smaller, genuine one as I returned her wave at my place at the door. "I _know_, hmm."

"Go on, then."

Stepping out into Koishikawa's bright sunlight, I immediately turned my gaze downwards to the elderly man sitting next to the door with his legs dangling off the porch. His bald head was hidden beneath his plaid green flat cap and his lips were tugged into his signature lazy smile as his squinted eyes stared into the distance. I inclined my head at the old man as I made my way to the street and off towards Myōgadani Station.

"Hmm." _Bye, Grandpa._

His head nodded slightly in return, a rumbling noise emerging from his chest. "Hmm." _Have a good day, Arashi._

That was how my first morning of school began. My grandmother doted on me incessantly while my grandfather regarded me with kind silence. It had been like that since my childhood, during my years in elementary and middle school and, most likely, into adulthood. It was normal, consistent and probably subject to change, though, I hoped not.

I already had enough change in life when my grandmother announced that I was going to Ouran Academy for my last years of school. Not only in the fact that I was going from public school to private school—to _Ouran_, no less—but in the fact that my grandparents hadn't been too worried about my academics for the longest and, now, they were suddenly showing an interest. There was also the issue with how they even _afforded_ getting me into the school but, even when I asked about it, they'd only give me nonsensical answers (grunts and hums in Grandpa's case) that were designed to divert the topic.

Eventually, I stopped asking.

"_Hamasaki-san!_"

My eyes squinted as I caught sight of Haruhi's petite form, _not _clad in Ouran's uniform. I blinked as I took in the boyish clothes and bulky glasses and messy hair but I bit back the question when she gave me a flat look. I laughed a bit nervously at the girl's hard stare, slightly intimidated by it. Was it bad that I was _intimidated_ by this girl whose head barely reached my shoulders?

"I can see the question on your face, Hamasaki-san." She sighed heavily and tiredly as we entered the station and boarded the train. "I'm not wearing the uniform because I couldn't afford it. They're terribly expensive..." She looked me up and down. "You look pretty good, though, Hamasaki-san." She sent me a smile as she adjusted her glasses.

"Thanks, hmm." I returned her smile with one of my own. "Say, Fujioka-chan-"

"Just call me Haruhi... _Arashi-san_?" She offered with that same quirk of the lips. "Is that okay?"

"All right." I nodded. "_Haru-san_." I smiled at her slight frown of displeasure. "Why didn't you dress more...?" I waved my hands slightly as I let the question drag out.

"Like a girl? Does it really matter?" She asked rhetorically but she continued nonetheless, "My dad likes to buy me feminine clothes that are more for casual wear. This was the only thing that I could find this morning that was decent enough." She ran a hand through her short hair. "As for this, last night, I found some gum in my hair so I just went ahead and cut it off."

"Hmm." The topic dropped, then, and the rest of the ride descended into cramped silence as more people filtered into the train and the morning rush to school and work began.

There wasn't much to talk about. It was early in the morning. The train was cramped. There was _school _in a little while—small talk topics were slim and few. Trying to talk to Haruhi wasn't like talking to her father; Ranka-san made it easy to make conversation and lively banter that was always entertaining but Haruhi didn't seem to be like that. She was on the more serious side of things as evinced by her exasperation of my and Ranka-san's lighthearted flirtations. She was straightforward and unflappable and, at this moment in time, too much of a hassle to try and interact with—at least that early in the morning.

I let out a low hum as we stepped from the train, taking in the sights of downtown Bunkyō as we continued on our way to Ouran. A slow breath escaped my lips as we made it onto campus, the castle-like structure that was the academy still finding a way to amaze me, though, I'd previously seen it during my uniform fitting. Haruhi ended up trailing after me to the front office where we picked up our schedules.

"I'm in class 1-B. How about you, hmm?" I questioned as I folded and pocketed the paper.

"Class 1-A." She responded with a tiny smile. "Looks like this is where we go our separate ways."

I hummed softly and an awkward air fell on us once again. I couldn't quite understand what it was about Haruhi that made it hard for me to speak to her. She adjusted her glasses as she stared up at me and I rubbed my lip, missing the familiar presence of my ring as I stared down at her.

"Ah, Arashi-san... Would you like to walk home with me after school?" She questioned as more of the student population began filing in. "You know, so you can report in with my dad." Her lips pulled into a small, amused smile. "He's the...twinkle of your eye, no?"

A sort of barking laugh was surprised from me and, with a more relaxed smile, I shoved my hands into my pockets and nodded my head. "Yeah, that sounds okay. We can meet up later. Right here, hmm?"

Her smile turned a bit brighter as we parted and I couldn't help but think I accomplished something. The only problem was that I didn't understand what or how.

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_Did she get lost...?_ I couldn't help but think as I leaned against the front office's wall, my eyes scanning over the crowd for Haruhi's messy locks. _I wouldn't be surprised about it..._

I didn't take Haruhi for the kind of girl to ditch others, not without a sound explanation. I sighed heavily as I rubbed my lip. While I was tempted to just head on—Granna _was_ waiting for me—Ranka-san's image kept popping up in my head, his brown eyes blazing in fury and his fists ready to tear me a new one for abandoning his _adorable_ Haru-chan alone. Ranka-san was a force that wasn't to be reckoned with. One more sigh worked its way from my mouth as removed myself from my spot on the wall and placed my beloved ring back into my lip, which garnered me a few strange looks from passing students.

The first step in the search for Haruhi Fujioka was to locate her last whereabouts. That would be her homeroom, classroom 1-A. It didn't take long to reach it and, when I peeked my head inside, I groaned when I wasn't able to locate any of her three symbols—her nerdy glasses, her disheveled hair or her baggy clothes.

"Excuse me? Can I help you?" A feminine voice piped up and I blinked blankly as I looked around. A girl with auburn hair and bright eyes stared up at me curiously, almost as if I were an anomaly.

_You're being sensitive. No one cares about you._ My lips pulled up into a nervous smile as I rubbed my lip. "Oh, ah, I was just looking for a friend. Do you know Haruhi Fujioka, hmm?"

The girl's face scrunched up in thought and I couldn't help but about how _cute_ it made her look. To be honest, a lot of the girls in Ouran were attractive, in a delicate sort of way, though, I chalked that up to their sheltered upbringing. Still, they were nice to look at and, being the nice person that I was, I told her that because women liked to be complimented (or so Granna tells me sometimes).

"_W-what!?_" She stuttered out in shock and I vaguely wondered if I should've kept my words to myself.

Looked like Granna was wrong.

"Ah, sorry." I slowly backed away from the door as the girl stared at me with wide eyes. "I'll just find my friend on my own." And I scurried down one of the hallways, hoping that I'd bump into the Fujioka girl in the process.

No such luck.

It became a game almost, how I would open every door I could find and peek my head into it, searching for her unique visage. I'd been in _four_ libraries, the dining hall, three classrooms, a teacher's lounge and five club rooms and, yet, there was no sight of Haruhi. A portion of my afternoon had been spent searching for the girl and I vowed that after looking in _one_ more room, I'd have to pack it in and leave.

"Music Room 3... Hmm." I muttered softly.

Haruhi didn't quite strike me as a virtuoso but I _did_ vow that after one more room, I was leaving. I shrugged my shoulders mildly and placed my hand on the ornate door handle, pushing it open in one motion. Just like the rest of the innumerable rooms I'd entered, this one was filled with grandiose objects and there was a regal atmosphere permeating throughout the room. My eyes searched around curiously before, finally, they caught sight of the person I'd been searching for.

"Haru-san? What are you doing here, hmm?"

My shoulders tightened as I caught sight of the various occupants surrounding Haruhi, how two redheads had her dangling in their grip, the broken shards of glass on the ground and the pensive relief that Haruhi managed to exude.

"_Arashi-san!_" She bleated out.

There was only one thing that I could think.

"Haru-san... What did you_ do_, hmm?"

...

It was probably better if I hadn't asked.

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**A/N:** My newest story, an OHSHC story that starts off rather boring! I'm sorry about that but I was trying to sorta make it into a 'slice-of-life' type story while trying out other things. For one, I was trying to be different in making the main character—he's not a girl, he's not rich, he's not necessarily friends with Haruhi and he's not a scholarship student as I believe Haruhi is the only one. Don't worry, everything regarding how he was able to enter Ouran will be revealed later so don't think I don't have a reason for not explaining it—it _will_ be revealed in time.

I really did try my best in trying something different. You know, like how most stories I read, there's the main character who's rich but is still able to relate to a "commoner's life" and is friends with Haruhi right off the bat. That's fine but I thought it would be interesting if a character really _was_ a "commoner" and isn't really on a best friend basis with Haruhi, meaning he'd have to get to know her just like the rest of the hosts. I was also trying to make him into a sort of opposite to Haruhi—where she's straightforward and ambitious, he's more laid-back and non-ambitious.

I also gave him a Deidara-esque verbal tic because I wanted to make him seem less cultured to the students of Ouran but normal to Haruhi and yet unique from everyone.

I haven't decided on a pairing but, just to let you know, it's not limited to just girls so, I'd like it if you guys could give me pairing ideas or who you'd like to see Arashi, our main character, have relations with lol XD Feedback is appreciated, guys!

**Edit - 7/10/2014: The verbal tic was too frequent. Tried to lessen it down so it wasn't as prominent.**


	2. II: Not a Host Just Yet

**Disclaimer:** _Ouran High School Host Club _itself, the characters and places belong to Bisco Hatori. The only things I own are the OCs and the plot of this story and I gain nothing from writing it besides the pleasure.

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**Storm Clouds - Chapter Two - Not a Host Just Yet**

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"_Arashi-san!_" She bleated out.

"Haru-san... What did you _do_, hmm?" There was a slight hint of amusement in my voice as I strided forward with squared shoulders. It was more like a false bravado—there were four of them around my height, one that was taller and...

I blinked in silent astonishment at the child clutching a stuffed pink bunny in his arms. Surely, they wouldn't think about bullying Haruhi with a _child_ in the direct vicinity. But, you can never be too sure with these types...

"Arashi-san!" She struggled in the twins' hold before her body stiffened and she sent me a glare when my words registered in her brain. "_Hey_! What's that supposed to mean!?"

"Eh? What's going on today?" A red-headed twin started.

"We keep getting _boys_ in here." The other finished in annoyance and I couldn't stop the incredulous look that appeared on my face. They thought Haruhi was a _guy_?

I looked over her dangling form clad in baggy, nondescript clothes once more as I shrugged—I suppose if one didn't know her gender beforehand, she could be mistaken for a boy if she wore certain clothes. There was also the fact that Haruhi didn't act like the typical 'girly-girl.' She carried herself with an amount of certainty and confidence that made her seem...almost _masculine _at times. Now that I think about it, Haruhi was a very androgynous person, much like her father was. Huh. I never noticed before.

"I take it you are acquaintances with Fujioka-kun, yes?" The dark-haired bespectacled teen questioned me as I approached the gathering. He sized me up in what can only be described as disinterest even as his lips pulled up into a calm smile.

"Y-_es_?" It came out more as a question than anything else.

"Well, it seems that your friend here has broken one of our _very _expensive one-of-a-kind vases, making him owe us a certain amount of debt." He adjusted his glasses, making light glint off of them. "Would you like to do something about it?"

"Arashi-san, _no_! You don't have to do anything! This is _my _problem!" She protested and I couldn't stop the irritated scoff from coming forth.

"Why are you always like that, Haru-san?" I crossed my arms, leveling her with a light glare. "The more you refuse me, the more I feel inclined to help you."

"My, what a _glorious _relationship the two of you share!" I jumped slightly as the taller blonde-haired boy did a sort of twirl and I blinked as rose petals and sparkles filled the air. "A forbidden love, not only between two men but between commoner and elite!"

I blanched, completely flabbergasted as Haruhi let out a squawk that was just as greatly surprised. "_W-What!?_"

"There's no need to be ashamed!" The blonde continued his tangent of the nonexistent relationship between Haruhi and I. "Love has no bounds!"

"So," The left twin started.

The right one finished, "You _are_ a _homo_!"

"We're not _together_!" The girl shouted. "And I'm not gay!" Haruhi added as an afterthought.

I rubbed away the insistent burning in my cheeks as the twins laughed at the situation, the blonde continued his flowery speech, the bespectacled one smirked and adjusted his glasses, the kid twirled around with his stuffed bunny and the tall one... He just stared at us silently.

"We hardly even know each other!" Haruhi groused and it made them pause.

"Then..." The blonde-haired teen paused before his purple eyes glittered and I suppressed the urge to smack my forehead. "It must be_ love at first sight_!" His spiel began once again.

"_Look_," I interrupted his speech as I pulled out my wallet, glaring at the group of people, "How much is this vase so we can leave?"

"Arashi-san, I don't think-"

"**¥ 8,000,000**." _All_ the color drained from my face. "Fujioka-kun owes us ¥ 8,000,000." His pleasant smile returned as he finished and I choked on my spit, quickly putting away my wallet as I grabbed my throat and coughed heavily in both distress and disbelief. We didn't even earn ¥ 8,000,000 at my grandparents' store! How was it even possible for a person Haruhi's age to be so deep in debt so quickly!?

He had to be joking. He_ was _joking.

_Right_?

My head whipped around to stare at Haruhi whose face bore an expressive mix of exasperation, agitation and annoyance. I wasn't sure if the looks were solely for me, her creditors, the situation or a combination of all three. In that moment, I regretted pressing the circumstances when I subconsciously knew I wouldn't be able to pay it or even really lend a hand. The repentant look must've been obvious on my face because Haruhi let out a weary sigh that made the feeling I felt even _worse_.

"I told you, Arashi-san." Her lips tugged into a rueful smile. "Please don't feel bad about this. I wouldn't want you to pay for me, anyways."

"Oh, so you're _not_ paying for Fujioka-kun, then?" The bespectacled one asked and I rubbed my lip as I averted my gaze. "How unfortunate."

"Aww, so you're not gonna help Haru-chan?" The little kid asked sorrowfully, the pout evident in his tone. "That's not very nice..."

"Why are you calling me that already!?" Haruhi grouched at the small boy but no attention was paid to her qualms as the blonde-haired teen grabbed my shoulders roughly, shaking me almost like a doll. Surprisingly, he was _a lot _stronger than he looked.

"How could you be so _cold_!?" He yelled in my face, making me flinch in response. "Leaving your beloved to fend for himself! How cruel, I say, _how_ _cruel_!"

The twins' laughter and that kid's babbling filled my ears again. I was starting to feel sick. From the shaking, from the embarrassment, from... I wasn't even sure at that point anymore. Then, it stopped. The blonde released me as he slammed a fist into his palm, his face lighting up as if he had some brilliant plan. I staggered back, leaning against a pillar to keep from falling over due to dizziness and possibly as a support to deal with the approaching amount of idiocy about to erupt from the purple-eyed teen's mouth.

"Due to this rogue's unscrupulousness,"—I cocked an eyebrow. I was an unscrupulous rogue..._how_? Because I was too poor to afford ¥ 8,000,000?—"It seems this commoner will have to work off his debt! By becoming the Host Club's _dog_!"

It was then Haruhi's head fell in defeat and I couldn't stop the remorse that lanced through my heart. How was it that _she _was the one who'd gotten into this mess but _I_ was the one who felt terrible about it? It must've been one of those 'women things'—the ability to make men feel bad even though they hadn't done anything. I'd seen it many times between Granna and Grandpa and, despite Haruhi's non-feminine appearance and mannerisms, she had it just like the _rest _of the female population.

I ran a hand through my hair, silently wishing that I'd brought a hair barrette, before I spoke up. "Isn't that a bit too far, hmm?"

"Says the guy who won't even pay off his boyfriend's debt." A twin chimed snidely as they both appeared by my side, making me blink in confusion. Did rich people know how to _teleport _or something?

My eyebrow twitched slightly and my jaw clenched. "Oh, I'm_ sorry_! I didn't realize it was _uncouth_ to be without ¥ 8,000,000 on hand at _all times_! You know, just in case a valuable vase is accidentally broken! How _silly_ of me for not having such foresight!" I bit out sarcastically, smacking my forehead to further push the notion.

"Ah, but, it _is_ uncouth!" The flamboyant blonde gallantly pulled a credit card from his breast pocket and the _rest _of the teens followed. Obviously, myself and Haruhi were excluded. "You see, you just never know when such things will transpire! One must _always_ be prepared!"

The boy with the glasses smirked at me then. "But...you wouldn't know that, would you?" His glasses gleamed ominously as he stared at me. "It isn't as if your family even pulls that much money in the first place. Do they, Arashi Hamasaki?"

"What?" The stuffed animal-holding child inquired in a cute mix of confusion and curiosity. "What do you mean, Kyō-chan?"

"What I mean, Honey-senpai,"—_The_ _hell_!? _Senpai_?—"Is that this fellow is just as much of a commoner as Fujioka-kun here. Only..." His smirk twitched and fell slightly. "Only Hamasaki-san isn't a scholarship student. That leaves the question of how he was able to afford both the tuition and the uniform cost shrouded in mystery."

It was at that moment that everyone decided to stare at me, even Haruhi. I managed to keep my lips in a firm line as I tensely shrugged my shoulders, my head averting to the side and my eyes lowering to the ground. It wasn't as if I was able answer their questions in the first place—_I_ didn't even know the answer and that fact left an_ extremely _bitter taste in my mouth.

I was just as ignorant as them.

"Leave Arashi-san out of this." Bless Haruhi's soul. She was trying to steer the conversation away from me. "This isn't about him. It's about me paying off a debt, right?"

The purple-eyed teen opened his mouth but the bespectacled boy smoothly interrupted. "Yes, I suppose you _are_ right, Fujioka-kun..." He smiled in smug amusement. "It's about time for the Host Club to open and there are many things that need to be done thanks to your..._interruption_." His head cocked to the side as he looked in my direction. "You may leave now, Hamasaki-san. There really isn't a reason for you to be here, is there?"

My lips tugged into a deep frown. "If Haru-san is here, I'm staying, hmm." I replied flatly but firmly with an eyebrow cocked, daring him to refuse me.

He stayed silent, though, and I noted the way his lips quirked up at my words, as if I'd fallen for some sort of invisible trap he'd set up. For all I knew, he probably _had_ duped me in some sort of way. It made my dislike for him root a bit deeper in my loins and my eyes narrowed as he adjusted his glasses with that same superior smirk on his face as the blonde-haired, purple-eyed teen, yet _again_, pointed a finger in my face, causing me to fix him with a light glare.

He ignored it.

Instead, the haze of sparkles and rose petals started up again and I let out a low, irritated breath at his antics. "You are very lucky, my good hooligan!"—_Wasn't that an oxymoron?_—"You will be the Host Club's very first _male_ guest! You should feel humbled that such a grand honor has been bestowed upon you!"

My glare intensified. The special effects stopped. He grimaced and gulped. "U-um," He clapped his hands sharply, summoning the two twins to his side. "Twins!"

"Yes, Boss?"

"Restrain— I mean, please _seat_ our guest!"

My eyebrow lifted in incredulity as the two redheads _teleported_ to both my sides, took both my arms in their hold and proceeded to drag me off with a strength uncanny to their lanky forms. I couldn't suppress the surprised yelp that came from my mouth nor could I stop the grunt that left my lips as they flung me into one of the couches strewn about the large music room.

"Now, then. Let us open the doors for our beloved princesses!"

...

What exactly had I gotten myself into?

* * *

"_...Oh, so that's where you are. I was a little worried that something had happened to you, dearie._"

"I know, Granna, and I'm sorry I didn't call you earlier but I was just really caught up with this..._thing_." I sighed softly as I scratched my head. "It kinda side-swiped me, to be honest."

"..._I see. Is it a club?_"

"You...could say that, hmm."

"_Well, then... I wouldn't want to jeopardize any chances you have at this new school._" Her voice carried a hint of...reluctance and _anger_? "_I'll leave you to it, then. I'll see you later, Shishi-kun._"

"Yeah. Bye, Granna."

I hung up my cell with a heavy sigh as I dropped my head on the cool surface of the table. I hated letting people down, my loved ones especially, but I tried to be the type of person who didn't go back on his words. I had promised Ranka-san I'd escort Haruhi to and from school and that was what I was going to do, even if it meant missing hours at the store. I mean, it wasn't that big of a deal. Missing a few hours couldn't be that detrimental to the store and I could always just pitch in by making the specialty bento boxes myself to give Granna a break.

_I am such a good person_. My eyes rolled as I lifted my head slowly and leaned my chin on the palm of my hand. _The things I do with no arguments whatsoever._

I may have seemed a bit ticked off at first but, really, it wasn't that much of a problem to stay in the Host Club after hours to look out for Haruhi. The hosts left me to my own devices as their customers flooded in and I was able to observe their actions without many interruptions.

It wasn't as bad as it seemed. They made Haruhi do menial tasks such as serving tea, washing dishes, fetch things from the store and serve finger foods. Essentially, she was just a maid for the club. The blonde-haired host, who I learned was named Tamaki, liked to refer to her as 'dog', which initially pissed me off. I _wanted_ to protest but, as soon as the words left Tamaki's mouth, she narrowed her eyes at me as if she _knew_ exactly what I was thinking.

I let it go.

As for what the hosts themselves did, it was rather obvious from the name of the club—they were all hosts. The girls would request a certain teen and said teen would chat her up, flirt with her a little bit and generally just entertain the girls for the afternoon. At first, I wondered what it was that made each girl prefer one host over another but I soon witnessed that each host had a certain gimmick that each girl liked.

Starting with the most normal host: Kyōya Ootori.

He was the dark-haired teen with the glasses that always had that condescending smirk on his face but...that was only around _me, _it seemed. To the guests, he was calm and collected, pulling girls in with his composed demeanor. Kyōya didn't seem to have as many customers as the rest of the hosts and he always looked to be busy pressing keys on his laptop or jotting things on his notepad. He was the most normal out of the bunch but I still disliked him a lot.

Next on the list was Tamaki Suoh.

Out of all the boys, Tamaki was the one pulling in the bulk of girls and he was the one with the most seated by his sides. He was your typical "prince charming," winning girls over with honeyed words, dashing smiles and feathery touches. He _did_ seem to have this regal air about him that was rather fascinating but, when I remembered how he called me a delinquent and pointed ever so rudely at my face, I quickly found myself immune to his sparkles and rose petals and pretty purple eyes.

Mitsukuni Haninozuka and Takashi Morinozuka—also known as Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai, respectively—were next on the list.

The two seniors worked better together as a unit than separately. Honey-senpai was very cute and sugary and gave a person a cavity just from looking at him while Mori-senpai served more as a prop for Honey-senpai than anything. What really set the girls off would be the massive cuteness of seeing strong and stoic Mori-senpai stooping down to help the tiny little senior, which resulted in a bout of coos and squeals. If I were being honest, it _was_ kinda cute.

...

...I liked cute things. So sue me.

Lastly, we had the Hitachiin twins, Kaoru and Hikaru, and they were, in fact, the _weirdest_ of all the hosts.

Their gimmick...was showing their love for each other in an excessive amount, to the point of seeming like incest.

That's it.

_Yes_, it was kinda creepy but the girls _loved_ it and that only solidified my suspicions that girls had questionable morals and the strangest of tastes.

I sighed softly. _Haru-san just _had_ to stumble on a group of weirdos, didn't she?_

"I just _had_ to stumble on a group of weirdos, didn't I?" She questioned rhetorically as she plopped down on the couch next to me.

I snorted in both surprise and humor as I looked down at her haggard form. "You know me well, hmm. That's exactly what I was thinking, Haru-san."

She laughed lightly under her breath as she pulled off her glasses to rub at her face. "It's funny. I just wanted to find a nice, quiet place to study during lunch and then _that _happened." She placed her glasses back on her nose as she tilted her head back to stare up at me. "I really am sorry, Arash-san. I tried to get to you after class but those two devils grabbed me up before I could even leave the room."

"Wait." I tapped my chin in thought. "You broke the vase during lunch?" She nodded. "Then why didn't someone pick up the pieces, hmm? That's dangerous."

"I _told_ you they were all idiots, Arashi-san." She stated flatly. "Really, you should leave while you still have the chance."

I patted her head lightly and I laughed as her nose scrunched up and her eyebrows furrowed. "Thanks for looking out for me, Haru-san." She batted my hand away. "But, I'm here because I _want_ to be here." I gave her cheeky grin. "Besides, if I take you home, I'll get to see my sweet Ranka-san."

Her brown eyes rolled and she shook her head. She went to respond to my silly quip but a soft clearing of the throat grabbed both of our attentions. It was a girl that stood before us and her eyes darted back and forth between me and Haruhi anxiously. My eyes squinted as I looked over the girl's face before my eyes widened in remembrance.

"You're that girl from before." I said and I watched in interest as her face flushed for reason. Was she angry that I had called her cute earlier and wanted some kind of revenge for it? "If you're angry with me, I'm really sorry. I really shouldn't have said what I said so abruptly."

"Muh? You offended someone, Arashi-san?" Haruhi questioned as she stared at me with that dead-panned look marring her face. I scratched the back of my head and offered her a nervous smile.

"W-well, I meant it as a compliment." I gestured towards the red girl. "She...is a very pretty girl and I told her that." I grimaced slightly. "Maybe I came off too strong. I thought girls liked compliments."

Haruhi muttered something under her breath but she didn't get the chance to voice her words.

"_DOG!_ We need more tea at our table~" One of the twins called and Haruhi released a heavy groan as she rose to her feet. "_HURRY UP!_"

I blinked as Haruhi dragged away to do her job before my eyes flitted back to the skittish girl hovering near my table. I felt somewhat bad. Was _I_ the reason she was acting like that? I hoped I wasn't pushing my luck but... I patted the empty seat next to me with a disarming smile on my face. "Would you like to sit with me? I'm kinda lonely now that my friend has left, hmm."

The girl squeaked as her hands clutched together at her chest. "U-um! C-can I?"

I nodded reassuringly as the girl fumbled her hands before she hesitantly yet daintly seated herself next to me. Her small frame was rigid and tense next to me and I resisted the urge to that I had to pat her on the head like I'd begun to do Haruhi. This girl was indeed _not _the blunt brown-haired girl I was getting to know and...

Actually, that should make it easier for me to converse with the girl.

Slowly, I allowed my posture to relax, let an arm drape across the back of the expensive couch and plastered a gentle smile on my face as turned my head towards to girl. "So... We haven't officially met, have we?" I held out a hand for her to shake. "I'm Arashi Hamasaki, class 1-B. What's your name?"

Her cheeks flushed as she timidly grabbed my hand in both of hers. "I-I'm Sayuri Himemiya and I'm in class 1-A, H-Hamasaki-san."

"Oh, right. I met you right outside there." I blinked widely. "Ah, I'm sorry for not remembering, Himemiya-chan. I was a little out of it this afternoon." I shrugged lightly, a playful smile on my face. "You know how the first day of school can be." I chuckled softly and I was delighted when the girl cracked a small smile and her hands' fumbling slowly settled.

That was how easy it was.

Just be as relaxed and open as possible. Don't force conversations. Just let the topics flow like water. Keep the compliments to a moderate level and don't force them on the first moment you meet. Oh. Also offer any leftover pieces of cake from your lunch if you have any; girls apparently like it when they get to eat something you made with your own hands.

...Well, Sayuri did, at least.

"Mmm~ This cake is _so_ good, Arashi-san." Her cheeks pinkened as she said my name and I tried to fight off the grin on my face from both the compliment and the girl's bashfulness. "I wish that I could keep eating it over and over again."

I laughed softly. "Well, I don't know about the over and over thing but, if you want, I could whip up something tonight for you for lunch tomorrow, hmm." I rubbed my lip with slight anxiousness. "_If_ you want, that is."

Her whole face reddened at my words and her head nodded so rapidly that I thought it might fall off. I chuckled under my breath as I gave into the urge to pat her head, causing the girl to flush even darker. The girls at Ouran were easily flustered, it seemed, but it was rather charming when compared to girls like Haruhi who never got so worked up over things such as that.

"A-ah, Arashi-s-san!" She gasped out with small hands cupping her cheeks. "Thank y-you for being so nice to me!" Her voice softened and her eyes glittered in happiness. "W-will I be able to see you here again?"

I winced. "Well... I was supposed to stay here only for today..."

And, then, her bright eyes darkened with disappointment. "Oh..."

I really hated seeing such a pitiful expression on _anyone's _face. I had only promised to escort Haruhi for the day but what kind of person would I be if I just left her alone to work off her debt? But what kind of grandson would I be if I just left all the work to my grandparents? I ran a hand through my hair and scratched my chin as I regarded the auburn-haired girl.

"Please, don't look like that, Himemiya-chan. I'll come back if you want me to."

What could it hurt if I spent _one_ more afternoon at the Host Club? It wouldn't be _that _bad, right?

...

If only I had turned around, I would've noticed the calculating smirk on someone's face and the foreboding gleam off his glasses.

* * *

**.**

* * *

**A/N:** There. I finally finished it _and_ I managed to keep Arashi from joining the Host Club in this chapter. It's kind of a cliché but it's not a bad one—I'm just still trying to be different with my character.

As for pairings, I still want you guys to give me your suggestions but I'm gonna try and give Arashi some kind of bond with all the hosts before the final pairing shows up in the story. It might take a while to get there. That's also the reason as to why I haven't posted a poll about the pairings; I want it to be a suprise for everyone, myself included, 'cause I haven't even planned who Arashi's gonna be with lol I'm just goin' with the flow


	3. III: Propositions

**Disclaimer:** The series of _Ouran High School Host Club _and its characters belong to Bisco Hatori. The only things I own are the OCs and the plot of this story and I gain nothing from writing it besides the pleasure.

* * *

**Storm Clouds - Chapter Three - Propositions**

* * *

**.**

_"I will be here until Bon Festival_

_After Bon Festival, I will not be here._

_If Bon Festival comes earlier,_

_I would return home earlier."_

"You...still remember that lullaby, Arashi?" Granna's voice asked softly.

My body lurched at the suddeness of her appearance and my cheeks colored in slight embarrassment from being caught. "Uh, yeah, Granna." My lips curled into a wide smile. "I can still hear it in my mind as clear as day."

It was true. The meaning of the lyrics could be perceived as rather morbid but the lullaby was ingrained in my mind, to the point where I could still hear a sweet voice crooning it in my ears. Unfortunately, I never could quite remember _who_ it was singing me that song due to fragmented and fading recollections and, every time I tried forcing myself to remember, the memory of that person appeared to become murkier and more distant.

"Say, Granna... Was it you who used to sing me that song, hmm?" I looked at her from the corner of my eye whilst I continued the task of making lunch for myself and something like a small box of sweets for Himemiya-chan.

Granna's eyes gained a distant look as her face contorted at my question. Her lips curled down, as if my inquiry had left a bad taste in her mouth, and her hands twisted together tightly, almost painfully. My eyebrows flew up in surprise before they lowered in a mix of confusion and worry.

"Granna?"

She was silent for a moment more before she shook her head and her eyes wandered up to my face. "...You shouldn't sing that song, Arashi." She smiled a weak, strained smile at my look of perplexity. "It's not a very happy song, dearie."

"Oh." I chuckled somewhat nervously, an attempt to drive off the tenseness on the small woman's face. "Ah, I know, Granna. I just can't help it, though. When I'm concentrating hard on something, it just pops up, hmm." I rubbed my lip as I smiled awkwardly. "But, I'll try to stop. Okay?"

Granna didn't respond for the longest of times. She just stared at me, her eyes searching my face for something that was unknown to me. I grinned at her, playfully giving her a thumbs up to ease her secret worries. Her eyes lingered but, after moments of uncomfortable silence, she relented and let her usual amiable countenance surface.

"All right, my little Shishi-kun." She chirped as she pinched my cheek a little too hard—as per usual—before she gestured towards the kitchen counter. "What's all this for? Your lunch? Surely, you don't need so much food in the afternoons! I feed you plenty, don't I?"

I laughed somewhat anxiously as I continued putting together the small jam-filled sandwiches. "Well, it's not exactly for _me_, Granna. It's for this girl I met yesterday... We chatted a little and she tasted some of my leftover cake slices." My face heated up in happiness. "She said she wanted to eat them over and over again so I told her I'd make her some more, hmm."

Granna's mouth dropped slightly and her squinted eyes blinked open. A dark look passed over her round face for no longer than a millisecond but I saw it, nonetheless. "W-what...?" Her eyebrow twitched. "Y-you're making something for..."

I grimaced uneasily, hoping Granna wouldn't revert back to the same tenseness as before. She didn't, for which I was immensely relieved, but she startled me by grabbing my face and squishing my cheeks together like they were made of clay. My eyes blinked rapidly as Granna's entire face seemed to light up and I groaned loudly as sparkles and petals emanated out of thin air, much like the flamboyant blonde-haired teen Tamaki Suoh had done earlier in the day.

"_My little Shishi-kun is growing up~!_" She gushed happily. "My little man is making food for a _girl_~! _Oh~!_ I can't wait to tell the girls at the book club meeting!" She released me abruptly as she rolled up her sleeves. "But, wait! You can't give a girl _monaka_ if you want to woo her!" She yanked my ear roughly, making me yelp in pain. "I thought I taught you better than that, Arashi!"

"B-but, Granna! She's not-" I spluttered out as I rubbed my aching cheeks, flinching as she pointed a threatening finger towards me. "I was gonna put some cupca-

"_SILENCE!_ I'm going to go fetch my other recipe folder!" She waved her hands around. "Get that mess cleaned up and, when I come back, I want to see sugar, flour and strawberries! We need hearts! Sweet cream! Icing!" She threw her hands up as she scurried out the room, her rant continuing throughout the house.

I snorted softly at her ridiculousness as I turned back to my station. Once Granna was on a roll, there was no stopping her. Honestly, it had been a _long_ time since I'd seen her move with such enthusiasm and energy. My small smile tugged down into a frown.

It had also been a long time since I'd seen such a perturbed look on her face. All over that lullaby. It was just a harmless folk song and, yet, my singing it upset Granna. The song was rooted deep in my mind, in my memories but, if Granna asked me to stop and I promised, then I would do it for her.

_She still didn't tell me if she was the one who used to sing it to me._ I thought as I put away my previous creations for a later use. _Does she not know or...?_

My thoughts wandered as silence descended upon the kitchen and my body straightened and cleared the counters almost mindlessly. Instead of throwing them away, I could either eat the monaka myself or I could give it to Haru-san tomorrow afternoon. If she didn't eat them, then she could easily give them to Ranka-san. I could also wrap them up and put up for sell in the shop...

...

..

.

_"I am from the poor families,_

_They are from the rich families._

_The rich people wear good belts,_

_Wear good clothes."_

My voice cut off abruptly. The song was so entrenched in my brain that it would be a chore to train myself not to sing it or hum it to myself any longer. I sighed under my breath as I began pulling out the cake ingredients. I didn't want to stop because I wanted to keep remembering. I didn't want to forget.

_"The sleeping child's_

_Cuteness and innocent look!_

_The crying child's ugly look,_

_The crying child's ugly look."_

...

Not only the song but also the woman who sung it to me so beautifully.

* * *

The next day's morning and afternoon classes passed quickly for me. I was relieved for that because academics were never a strong point of mine. Not exactly because I was lazy—which I _was_, to a certain extent—but because of the workload and the expectations that Ouran held for its students. To be perfectly honest, I wasn't used to dealing with such high standards when it came to schoolwork.

Going from public schools, where the work and expectations were a lot more lenient, to a private academy, where students were expected to learn and know _all_ the branches of mathematics was daunting to the brain. The thought of all the thing that were required made me feel as if I were about to explode. I could only hope that I wouldn't crack under the immense pressures.

_Don't think about school work._ My brain suggested. _Think about the pretty girl who liked your cakes and company so much that she wanted to see you again._

For a long time, girls had never been my forte. I'd never had a girlfriend before, not because I had a bad personality—far from it, according to several of my crushes—but because I wasn't the best looking bloke they could possibly be with. Of course, they never said that directly to my face but I could piece things together.

There was also the fact that I caught one of the girls I'd confessed to gossiping to her friends about me.

As stated by her, my mouth looked too wide for my face when I smiled. My eyes always looked to be squinty and/or closed. I was too pasty and looked sickly all the time. I had a terrible haircut. I had an annoying verbal tic. I was shorter than most of my classmates, girls included, and I apparently had a tendency to creep up on people, resulting in them being shocked of my presence. Ultimately, she described me as "_some creepy stalker __weirdo_" and deemed me as someone well below her standards.

Needless to say, my self-esteem and self-confidence plummeted into oblivion thanks to that girl. Thankfully, my looks evened out once I hit puberty. My face and jaw grew a bit broader, making my mouth fit my face properly, and I gradually grew to a more than decent height of 183 cm, making me taller than most all my old classmates. I gained a tan once I started biking and fishing during the summers and I never let my Granna touch my hair with scissors _ever _again.

As for my squinting, my eyes are sensitive to bright lights. I have very light blue-grey eyes and, as with lighter eye colors, they lack some of the pigment darker eye colors have against bright lighting. My old schools had very, _very_ bright lights and, to avoid painful migraines, I squinted frequently. Nowadays, the pain isn't as intense as it used to be so my eyes react accordingly.

The verbal tic is a habit I picked up from my Grandpa. He's just as lazy as me, if not _more_, and he didn't speak often because talking required more energy than he was willing to give. He ended up relaying information mostly through subtle body gestures, grunts and hums and, as a child, I thought it was pretty cool. I began to imitate him. The only real difference is that I actually like to talk, unlike Grandpa, and the hums just come almost automatically.

Unfortunately, my self-confidence still hasn't fully recovered and it wasn't until relatively recently that I'd been able to even look at a girl. Granna tried to help by telling me that most girls liked being complimented and Sayuri's initial response to flattery had me feeling slightly awkward and apprehensive.

Luckily, that wasn't the case.

Also, she liked my cakes and that was always a plus.

I lingered outside of classroom 1-A, watching as the other students filed out and hoping that I didn't come off too eager by waiting for Sayuri outside her class. It wasn't only because I wanted to see my new friend but also because I wanted to give Haruhi the monaka I'd made yesterday evening. My mouth curled into a smile as I caught sight of Sayuri's slightly wavy auburn hair.

"Himemiya-chan." I greeted lightly, chuckling softly as her face lit up brightly presumably at the sight of me. "I was just passing by and thought it would be a good idea if we went to the Host Club together, hmm."

"A-Arashi-san!" She gasped out, a darker blush flooding her cheeks. "You came to _e-e-escort _me?"

I nodded with a smile. "Mm-hm. I also brought you a _whole_ box of sweets." I held up the delicately wrapped box. "I hope you don't mind, hmm. I wanted you to have a variety."

Her bright eyes glazed over in what I hoped was happiness and her small hands cupped her rosy cheeks bashfully. "A-A whole box? Just for _me_? T-thank you, Arashi-san!"

"No problem, Himemiya-chan. I try to treat all my friends good." I let my hand land on her head for a gentle pat. She looked close to falling over and my hand shot out to firmly grasp her arm. "Ah, don't fall over, Himemiya-chan!"

Her eyes widened until they seemed to cover her entire face, making my eyebrows lift slightly, before they averted to the ground, her seemingly perpetual blush somehow becoming even brighter. "A-ah, thanks f-for helping me, A-Arashi-san!" She squeaked out. "Can w-we go now!?"

"Of course, Himemiya-chan." Inwardly, I was laughing at her rather cute actions but, outwardly, I let a good-natured grin stretch over my lips. "Let's get going, hmm."

As we left, I vaguely remembered that I'd forgotten to look out for Haru-san but I remembered that she was the maid for the Host Club so odds were high that I would see her there.

We arrived to the Host Club's large doors within minutes and, before I could open the door, it opened for us, revealing none other than Haruhi's short visage. I smiled and lifted a hand in greeting. "Hey there, Haru-san! They got you working pretty hard, hmm?"

"Oh, Arashi-san." She smiled slightly before her expression turned into a deep frown. "Wait a minute... What are you doing here? I thought I told you I didn't want your help."

I tutted as I patted her head, snorting as she batted my hands away and fixed me with a glare. "Don't be so self-absorbed, Haru-san. I'm not here for you," I gestured towards Sayuri as I spoke, "I'm here because Himemiya-chan asked me to be here."

Her lips pursed as her eyes narrowed at me. I met her gaze with a relaxed smile and a shrug of the shoulders. The boyish girl's body relaxed as she softly sighed. "_Fine_, if you say so." She looked at me in slight amusement. "You just can't say no to people, can you, Arashi-san?"

"It depends." I smiled before I snapped my fingers in remembrance. "Oh, yeah. I had some leftover monaka and I thought you or Ranka-san might want it." I placed a container in her hands. "Hope you enjoy it."

"Thanks." She said dryly. "Now I have something else to carry along with the groceries I have to get for these guys." She shrugged as she waved a hand towards me. "I'll see you later, Arashi-san. You too, Himemiya-san."

We parted and Sayuri and I entered music room #3. My eyes squinted slightly as I felt a rose petal brush against my face and I _knew_ it was the prelude of a certain blonde's entrance.

"Welcome back to the Host Club, my good chap~!" His voice was smooth, his gaze piercing and his smile seductive as he quickly strided over to me. "It seems that the club's services has drawn you back for another afternoon!"

"Actually, no." I dead-panned. "I'm here because Himemiya-chan asked me to come with her. Or did you not see her next me, Tamaki-senpai?"

"H-Himemiya-chan?" He blanched as his eyes whipped over to the girl by my side. He recovered almost instantly and he bowed down, taking the girl's hand in his. "Please forgive me, Princess! I did not mean to neglect your wonderful presence! We are _very_ pleased to have you finally attending the Host Club!" He straightened up, a dashing smile on his face. "Now, please tell me which host suits your tastes, Princess."

Sayuri's face turned red as she stuttered out something illegible before she gently pulled her hand free of Tamaki's and crowded next to my side. "I don't want to request a h-host, Tamaki-senpai. I j-just want to sit with Arashi-san, if that's o-okay."

"S-sit with Arashi-san?" Tamaki's eye twitched slightly and I covered up my smug smirk with a cough. "But he isn't-"

"That's perfectly fine, Himemiya-san." Kyōya strided forth, easily breaking into the conversation with a charming smile. "It's our job as hosts to make sure you're as comfortable and as satisfied as possible." His eyes cut over to me briefly and his smile twitched. "Even if it means we ourselves won't be servicing you." He gestured towards a table near a window. "Why don't you and Hamasaki-san have a seat over there?"

My eyes narrowed at the bespectacled teen suspiciously as Sayuri bleated out a thanks and guided me towards our seats. That smile may have _looked_ charming on the surface but I could see the slyness that Kyōya had hidden in its depths. He was planning something but _what_ that was was unknown to me. Inwardly, I shrugged—as long as what he was planning wasn't detrimental to my health, I didn't really care too much. It just bothered me that he was so secretive and crafty about it.

I smiled slightly as I gently pushed the box towards the girl across from me. "Here you go, Himemiya-chan." My smile turned even brighter and my eyes squinted with the action. "I put a lot of care and effort into them so I hope you enjoy every bit."

She made a noise in her throat as she nodded rapidly. I watched in eagerness as she unwrapped the box, opened it and gasped at the contents. "A-Arashi-san, you didn't have to make me so many things!"

I laughed softly. "I wanted to make another good impression but, I admit, I _may _have gone a little overboard." I leaned over slightly to see exactly what I put in and I rubbed my lip in embarrassment. "Yeah, I _definitely_ went overboard with this."

It wasn't only me. Granna had a large hand in the amount of sweets I put in that box for Sayuri. There was a slice of strawberry shortcake, a peach-shaped castella cake, a chestnut-filled anpan, some daifuku, a slice of caramal cake and a slice of German chocolate cake. I grimaced slightly as I took in the box's contents and I muttered a slight curse under my breath.

"Eh, I'm sorry, Himemiya-chan, I didn't mean to try and send you into sugar shock." I chuckled fearfully as I ran a hand through my hair. "How 'bout we share some of this, hmm?" I searched the table before I stood up. "I'll go find us some forks. Some _water _too, for that matter."

She smiled and giggled shyly as her eyes twinkled in humor. "That sounds fine, Arashi-san."

I grinned at her as I left the table. Then, I paused because I didn't know where the Host Club kept forks or cups or _anything_. I didn't want to bother any of the host, though, a couple of them didn't look to be busy and Haruhi wasn't back from the store yet so I couldn't ask her. I groaned softly as I moved to go back to Sayuri's side.

"Looking for _this_, Hamasaki-san?" A voice suddenly asked from next to me.

I jolted slightly with a hand to my chest to calm my beating heart. My hand turned to the side, staring widely at Kyōya as he stood there with a calm smile on his face and a silver platter in his hands containing two glasses of water, two plates and two forks. My eyebrows furrowed at his seemingly innocent façade. "Kyōya-senpai? How'd you know I needed this, hmm?" I took the offered platter regardless.

He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "I wouldn't be a very good host if I weren't able to keep our guests happy, would I?" His head tilted to the side. "You should really get back to Himemiya-san's side, Hamasaki-san. It seems that Honey-senpai has gotten a whiff of your desserts."

"What?" My head whipped towards my table and, just like Kyōya had said, the tiny senior was sitting in _my _spot, staring rather ravenously at Sayuri's box of confections whilst chattering happily. A silent Mori was by his side and Sayuri was glancing nervously back and forth between me and the teen. I heaved out a heavy sigh as I looked back at Kyōya, only to see him walking back towards wherever he came from.

I approached the table in less than a few seconds and smiled gently at Sayuri's relieved smile. "Ah, Honey-senpai, Mori-senpai. Is there something that you wanted from us?"

His large eyes flickered over to me and an adorable smile covered his face. "Hi there, Ara-chan! Me an' Usa-chan was just asking Sayu-chan who made all this yummy stuff! She told us that you made it, Ara-chan!"

"That I did, Honey-senpai." I stated.

"Oh." He said simply as he looked down at the stuffed pink bunny. There was a pregnant pause and then, "Can me an' Usa-chan have some, Ara-chan?"

I couldn't stop the amused snort that came up. The way he batted his long eyelashes and poked out his lower lip to gain sympathy and look absolutely adorable was just too authentic. Honey-senpai was really _too good _at his act. He was too good at playing at people's heartstrings to get what he wanted; he'd somehow retained the art of manipulating people with the childish charms most others lost as they grew older—it didn't matter if he physically looked like a child. I could tell that even if he didn't, he'd _still_ be too good at what he did and I couldn't even get made at him for it.

Judging by the mischievous glint his honey-colored eyes, he knew it and he knew that I knew it too.

"Well, I suppose you can eat my portion, Honey-senpai." I snickered as I pulled up a seat. "You don't mind that, do you, Himemiya-chan?"

"O-of course not!" She squeaked out. "P-p-please enjoy it, Honey-senpai!"

"Thank you!" He chirped happily as he grabbed up a fork, stabbed it into the slice of German chocolate cake and shoved the _whole_ slice into his mouth in one bite. "_Mmm~!_" He hummed in satisfaction as he swallowed. "That's really _good_, Ara-chan! It's a lot better than the cakes Kyō-chan usually orders!"

My mouth dropped in shock at how he practically _inhaled_ that slice of cake and, from the corner of my eye, I could see that Sayuri had an expression very much similar to my own. My mouth snapped closed as I noticed him reaching in for another piece of cake. "Uh, Honey-senpai, why don't you let Himemiya-chan try a slice of cake?"

"Huh?" His bright smile turned into a remorseful teary pout. "_Ah!_ I'm sorry, Sayu-chan! I didn't mean to be greedy! It's just that Ara-chan's chocolate cake was so good that I wanted to try his other ones too!" His lower lip trembled and I again snickered to myself at his actions and Himemiya's splutters.

"I-It's okay, Honey-senpai! I only really want t-this cake here." She placed the peach cake on her plate and pushed the box towards the small senior. "Y-you c-can have the rest!"

"_Really_?" He asked and, at Sayuri's jerky nod, he grinned brightly and proceeded to dig in.

My lips twisted up and I grabbed up the glass of water to take down a gulp—looking at him take down all those sweets made me feel somewhat sick. I mean, I liked sweets and all but, _really_, the pace he was going through them were inhuman. I noticed something shift in the corner of my eye and I turned my head to look over at Mori-senpai, who I had actually forgotten was there.

"Mori-senpai, you don't want anything, hmm?" I asked over Honey-senpai's hums and gulps.

The imposing teen stared at me for a long moment before he slowly shook his head and looked away from me, causing my eyebrows to raise in slight surprise but I didn't question it. Mori kinda reminded me of Grandpa, in the way that they both didn't speak very often. Funny. Did that mean I viewed Mori as an old person?

"-ear me, Ara-chan?" Honey-senpai's voice asked.

"Hmm?"

"I said that, when you come back, could you bring me an' Usa-chan more cake?" He asked innocently and with pleading eyes.

Not _if_ I came back but _when _I came back. He seemed pretty sure that I was gonna continue coming back to the Host Club even though, honestly, I really didn't have much of a reason to. The first time was for Haruhi and this time was for Sayuri but, without much reason to keep coming back, I wouldn't. It wasn't as if I were friends with Honey-senpai, either, and I couldn't keep giving out free cakes when I could be selling them at the store. I shrugged my shoulders as I rubbed my lip.

"Sorry, Honey-senpai, but it might be a while before I come back here." I gave Sayuri's sad face an apologetic smile and her head a gentle pat. "Sorry, Himemiya-chan."

"W-what? But _why_!?" He wailed as he clutched his Usa-chan to his chest and I flinched at the pitiful sight.

I desperately tried to smother down the stab of guilt that repeatedly lanced through my heart as he looked at me with his tear-filled orbs. I was trying. I was really trying to refuse him. I couldn't keep skipping out on my duties at the store like that but I _really_ didn't want Honey-senpai to be sad, either.

Plus, Mori was giving me this _look_ that was pretty hard to ignore.

"Please don't look at me like that, Honey-senpai. _Please_." I pleaded as I ran a hand through my hair. "I really can't keep coming back here like this."

"B-but-"

"Perhaps, I could help you with your dilemma, Hamasaki-san." Kyōya's voice said from next to me.

"Kyō-chan!" Honey gasped cheerfully. "You can convince Ara-chan to come back and give me more cakes!"

My eye twitched as Kyōya continued speaking, "Well, that's only if he'd let me." He sent me a smirk. I sighed and waved a hand towards him impatiently.

He adjusted his glasses. "Good to see you cooperating, Hamasaki-san." He looked down at his clipboard briefly. "Now, I'm sure the reason you're reluctant to frequent the Host Club is because of your job as a cashier at your family's store. Correct?"

_How do you know that? _I nodded. "Yeah, hmm."

"Unfortunately for you, Hamasaki-san, holding a job outside of campus is a violation of Ouran's policy and it could be used as a grounds to _expel_ you from the campus." He smiled chillingly at my shocked expression.

"_WHAT!?_"

"_However_, it _isn't_ against school policy to hold a job on campus." He continued. "In this case, I'd like to offer you a deal that could be beneficial to both you and the Host Club."

I ran a shaky hand through my hair. "W-what is it?"

"I'd like to run a..._trial_ of sorts for your food. I've only gotten to observe Honey-senpai's and Himemiya-san's reactions to your cakes but, unfortunately, they are not enough to properly gauge the quality of your food—Himemiya-san is only one person and Honey-senpai is _biased_ when it comes to pastries." He ignored Honey's whine. "If you would make a cake for the rest of the guests and hosts to try by the end of the week _and_ they love it, I would offer you a position as the club's personal chef depending on the success of your food."

My eyes squinted. "Why? I mean, why not just hire a professional or something?"

"To be frank, Hamasaki-san, hiring you would be a _much_ cheaper alternative to hiring a professional company." He smirked. "There's also the fact that a large percentage of the money you earn will go into the club's pockets instead of out."

"Hmm..." I rubbed my lip in thought. "What do _I _get out of it, then?"

He chuckled. "If all goes well and your dishes are a hit, you'll be rewarded..." He looked down at his clipboard once more before speaking up, "40% of your total earnings to be used towards your grandparents' store."

I whistled lowly as my eyes narrowed suspiciously at the teen. The deal _sounded_ way too good to be true but, if he were telling the truth about the school's policy, it's not like I could work in the store, anyways. At least, in this way, I'd be able to help out my grandparents a lot more than just slacking off at the register. I rubbed my chin as I gave a glance towards the other three people at the table: Honey looked outright excited, Sayuri looked elated and Mori looked indifferent.

_What do you have to lose, Arashi?_ I questioned myself before shaking my head. "I guess...that sounds like a good deal, Kyōya-senpai." I grinned. "I guess I can give it try. I mean, what could it hurt, right?"

"Yay! Ara-chan will make us more cakes!" Honey cheered happily as he twirled his Usa-chan. "Isn't that great, Takashi?"

The tall teen grunted softly while Sayuri smiled at me shyly.

Kyōya's head tilted as he smiled. "Good. I look forward to tasting your endeavors, Hamasaki-san." His glasses gleamed brightly.

...

I hoped this was the right thing to do.

* * *

"So... I hear you're a host now, hmm." I tapped my foot lightly as I looked down at the short girl. "What's up with that?"

She shrugged. "According to Tamaki-senpai, I have what it takes." She looked up at me. "So... I hear that you're gonna be the club's chef." She smiled lightly. "What's up with that?

I shrugged. "According to Kyōya-senpai, I can get expelled for working outside of campus grounds. Working for the Host Club seemed like a lesser evil of sorts." I laughed. "Plus, I'll get paid."

We descended into silence.

"Hey, Haru-san?"

"Yes, Arashi-san?"

"Do you...think everything's gonna be okay? I mean, regarding you an' the vase and me an' my grandparents?" _And how I was even able to enter Ouran?_

A sigh. "There's nothing we can do except wait and see, Arashi-san." She smiled. "But... I think things are going to turn out just fine." She brightly. "So don't worry, okay?"

I searched her face for a long moment before nodding shortly, a small smile tugging at my lips. "Yeah. Thanks, Haru-san."

"No problem, Arashi-san."

* * *

**.**

* * *

**A/N: **Hello, everyone! First off, I mucked up the timeline because Haruhi became a host on the first day of school. As of this chapter, it's the second day of school. Just ignore my little mistake, please *_insert nervous laughter_* Now, then...

Thanks for the reviews! I find it very funny that all the hosts minus Haruhi and Tamaki have been suggested. _*waggles finger* _Are you guys trying to tell me something?

Just kidding.

To be honest, I have my own headcanon scenarios for each host—Kyōya, in particular. When I started this story, I swore to myself up and down that I would _not_ pair my character with Kyōya because there are so many OC stories with him but, once I started typing, I realized that Kyōya just has this..._something_ that makes him ideal for OC pairings. As for my Kyōya headcanon, all scenarios usually end up with him having a breakdown similar to the ones in the _Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney_ series, for some reason. I'm weird like that. I like to imagine that Arashi is able to fluster and anger him to the point of OOCness lol

But, because I want you guys to ultimately choose who Arashi ends with, I'm going to leave my personal feelings regarding pairings out of it for the most part. Maybe after the story ends, I'll post a mini ficlet with Arashi paired with an individual host in each chapter. Maybe. Choose who you want without my influence and bias!

On another note, here's a little dictionary thing for terms in the story that you may not be familiar with down below. I'm probably not always going to do this but I realize it helps sometimes. And, before you ask, _yes_, the lullaby is relevent to the plot. I promise that all will be revealed eventually.

-**Dictionary**-

- **Monaka** (_最中_) is a japanese dessert made by filling two thin wafers made of mochi with jam made from azuki beans but it can also be filled with sesame seed, chestnuts, rice cake (also mochi) and even ice cream. The shapes vary depending on the maker and the dessert is usually served with tea. According to wikipedia, there are very many monaka specialty shops in Japan.

- **Anpan **(_あんパン_) is a Japanese sweet roll most commonly filled with red bean paste. It can be filled with other fillings such as white beans, sesame and chestnut.

- **Daifuku **(_大福_) is a Japanese confection consisting of a small round mochi (glutinous rice cake) stuffed with sweet filling, most commonly anko, sweetened red bean paste made from azuki beans.

- **The Itsuki Lullaby **(the song Arashi was singing at the beginning) is a lullaby widely known throughout Japan and it's a folk song indigenous to Itsuki Village in the Kumamoto Prefecture on Kyūshū. There's speculation on what the song is really about but it's thought to have been sung by poor babysitters for the weathy Genji families (Just read wikipedia for more info).

There are two versions of the song: the original and the more common version of it. Lyrics for it can be found on wikipedia. The version Arashi sings is a mix of both versions that is sung by a user on YouTube named Akire Ferris.

*_Just about all this info was taken from wikipedia!*_


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